By Kent Gray
After nearly eight months of radio silence, the MENA Tour is finally transmitting again and the first communiqué is one of cautious optimism.

Tour Commissioner David Spencer has shared with Golf Digest Middle East a letter sent to the regional developmental circuit’s membership on Wednesday outlining a 2021 schedule featuring no fewer than 16 events.

The dispatch also promised the payment of outstanding prize money from earlier this year as well as the refunding of entry fees to events subsequently postponed by COVID-19, all in no small part courtesy of a “revised” and “fully executed” naming rights sponsorship agreement with Arena.

RELATED: Jordanian amateur Shergo Al Kurdi earns OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic start courtesy of MENA Tour ranking

The 16 events next year will include the five outstanding 2020 tournaments postponed by the coronavirus outbreak being staged in a “golf bubble” at Ayla Golf Club in Aqaba, Jordan from March 8 to April 5. An 11-event “2021 season” is then pencilled in for an October commencement, notwithstanding further pandemic curveballs.

The letter was light on specifics – event dates, purses etc.  – but will be greeted with guarded enthusiasm by the circuit’s fledging pro and amateur membership, many of whom have been left competition starved thanks to the coronavirus. The on-going support of Arena, which supplies structures to the severely impacted events industry, and Ayla, which has extended its destination partnership agreement into 2021, speaks volumes of the tour’s intent, especially in this challenging fiscal environment.

Spencer confirmed the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic would honour its committment of starts in the $3.25 million European Tour event to the top amateur and three leading professionals, a nice New Year’s boost for Jordanian amateur Shergo Al Kurdi and pros David Langley and David Hague (England) and Ryan Lumsden (Scotland).

Further European Tour, Asian Tour and Challenge Tour invites will also be offered to top performers following the five March-April events where fields will be limited to 120 players in a bio-secure bubble.

“These incentives are yet to be finally determined with other promoters but as usual we will work with the individual players once the 2020 Journey to Jordan is completed to create the best possible playing opportunities within their own playing schedules,” Spencer wrote.

There will be no Q-School for the 2021 season with all current members eligible to rejoin for the 2021 season in a category that will be determined after the completion of the 2020 Journey To Jordan. “Furthermore, we are working with several other OWGR Tours to provide MENA Tour Members with limited exemptions to play in tournaments that they are likely to be scheduled for the May to September 2021 period.”

Ayla Golf Club in Aqaba, Jordan, returns as the MENA Tour by Arena’s destination partner in 2021.

Spencer signed off the letter thanking players for their patience and understanding after an extraordinary year. The MENA Tour was the first OWGR-sanctioned circuit to suspend play – following the Journey to Jordan #2 Championship won by Lumsden, in early March. Plans to play the outstanding five events in late 2020 were tentatively announced in April but the ongoing travel challenges presented by the pandemic ensured that was a false dawn.

David Spencer

“Firstly, I want to apologise (again) for the lengthy delays in the prize fund payments,” Spencer wrote. “We appreciate that this has placed pressure on you and that was not our intention. We are very pleased to have been able to sort this issue out and look to the future in a positive and proactive manner.

“We are extremely lucky to be working with companies like ARENA and AYLA who are dedicated to the MENA Tour and have worked with us to create a future pathway.

“I am not going to go over the destructive nature of COVID especially in the world of sport, suffice to say we have navigated this situation with the players’ best interests always being paramount in all discussions.

“Like all of you, I am very much looking forward to seeing 2020 in the ‘rear-view mirror’ and applying our efforts and energies to growing our Tour and providing more exciting playing opportunities for our Members.

“#StaySafe and wishing you and your families all the best for 2021 and beyond.”

The post MENA Tour announce plans for 16 events in 2021 after emerging from ‘destructive’ pandemic bunker appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The MENA Tour has been great. I was encouraged by my coach Rob Watts to play. It was a bit of a risk for me because I only had enough money to play the first event and then after that I would’ve been playing on my credit overdraft. Luckily I won that first event.

It has been a difficult couple of years. My father has struggled with an alcohol addiction for many years which has progressively got worse and eventually deteriorated his health dramatically in 2019 [Langley’s father passed away late last year]. We’ve always been on a tight budget because of this and my mum has been amazing in helping support me where she can. Even though we’ve had some difficulties at home she has never once stopped me from chasing my dream and I have had the freedoms and support to travel the world and gain some great experiences.

I turned pro last September after a two-year walker cup run that I fell just short of achieving. I played two EuroPro tournaments on invite and made it to second stage of European Tour Q school. This is my first “tour” of what I consider to be my rookie season.

With everything going on right now I’m very grateful for the opportunity to compete and win the Journey to Jordan #1 Championship. Not many people this year are going to get that opportunity so I’m glad I was able to take that opportunity.

Winning has been a massive boost to my confidence and self-belief. Also, my other experiences during the first half of the tour were invaluable. I’ve learnt from my win and comparing that to some of the other mental states, what really works for me and I’ve been able to use that. I think my 29 on the back nine in Oman was proof of those things… I have learnt after that bad start to the final round I was able to drag myself into the right frame of mind to pose a challenge to the win [Langley eventually finished runner-up to countryman Bailey Gill at the Ghala Open].

I have put myself in a great position to win the overall Journey to Jordan title. Obviously we don’t know the schedule yet so we will just have to wait to know what will happen but I would love to get the chance to play those events. So far it seems that Middle Eastern golf suits my game. I hit it relatively high and spin my wedges a lot so the firm desert conditions have been good for me.

I think from a logistical standpoint, the idea of the six-week, five tournament encampment at Ayla Golf Club to finish the season makes sense. From a player point of view, it’s a little bit frustrating to have to play the same course [potentially up to eight times, not including Q-School] in tournaments but we are in unprecedented times, so I think we have to be grateful that we even have that opportunity to potentially finish our season.

You know, we’ll adapt at whatever gets thrown at us. If we play the last six weeks at Jordan, I’m okay with that. Obviously, for me I’ve got a win there so it’s definitely a course I feel comfortable on.

The COVID-19 lockdown has been difficult emotionally, I’m not going to lie. Obviously I play golf fulltime so to all of the sudden have nothing is very strange, you sort of feel like your sense of purpose has gone a little bit. I’ve been extremely bored really.

I think my DIY skills have improved a lot, doing bits and bobs and jobs around the house. I’ve been reading more books so I’ve learnt some stuff from that but other than that, I can’t say I’ve really learned any new skills. Not a whole lot really.

I have an indoor hitting bay that I’ve created in my garage because of this. I’m able to hit iron and wedges but I can’t get swings on the woods in here just because of the space available. I’ve just got a launch monitor and simulator in here so I will be able to practice with a bit more purpose. I have been hitting balls and doing drills and sending videos to my coach but there’s definitely a limited amount of productivity in here.

To be honest, I haven’t read up on it really deeply but I’ve heard the European Tour might struggle after this, I’m not too sure. I just don’t think we know so we’ve just to take everything as it comes. Hopefully, the mini-tours find the financial backing to continue because I think they’re really important pathway for us.

I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to play in the Trophée Hassan II [Langley earned the invite as the halfway leader in the Journey to Jordan OOM]. My game has proven itself across the globe and I have had great experiences from my time at Old Dominion University in USA which has set my game up to be very adaptable to many grass types and conditions. I’m hoping it gets rescheduled and my invite is valid but I’ve not heard anything yet.

I’m glad I’ve had a little time to work on my physique and get flexible again because the travelling had taken its toll a bit. But it’s not really been the rest I had already planned in terms of seeing friends and family. I’ve been at home with my Mum so that’s been good to spend more time with her but my girlfriend is from America and she was meant to be coming over for a week or so. So stuff like that has been called off, so it hasn’t been that kind of reset.

I’m itching to get back playing in the sense that I just miss the game more than anything. To be honest, I wouldn’t particularly want to compete right now because I know I would be rusty. I think the competing side almost comes second to just wanting to get out there and improve and practice and improve and play and then we can hopefully compete after that. -—with Kent Gray

The post David Langley: One Tough Rookie appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Bailey Gill planned to tee it up at the $75,000 Royal Golf Club Bahrain Open next week. Instead he’ll be rubbing shoulders with the likes for former world No.1 Martin Kaymer at the European Tour’s Oman Open, an event with a cool million extra greenbacks on the line. Amazing, potentially life-changing things like that happen to good players on the MENA Tour by Arena.

The 22-year-old Englishman was trying to get his head around the sudden change of plans after capturing the $13,500 winner’s cheque at the Ghala Open on Wednesday.

The Worksop lefty birdied his last three holes and five of his last six in a bogey-free 65 to get to -15 and win by one from overnight leader and room-mate David Langley. Scot Craig Ross, who briefly owned the lead by two strokes at the turn, settled for third at -12, a shot ahead of impressive Dubai-based Indian teen Arjun Gupta who signed for a bogey-free 66 and his best MENA Tour result. Gupta played his final 36-holes in 11-under-par to seal his second amateur title on the regional development circuit after he shared that honour with pal Josh Hill at last November’s Tour Championship.

CHAMPIONS!!
England’s @baileygill1997 (16-under par) and India’s Arjun Gupta are the Professional and Amateur winners of the Ghala Open.
Gill’s reward, apart from the $13,500 cheque, is a spot in next week’s Oman Open on the @EuropeanTour. pic.twitter.com/Ko88ScAd8z

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) February 19, 2020

But this was Gill’s day, a scarcely believable pro breakthrough after he wasted a golden opportunity at the inaugural NEWGIZA Open last week.

The southpaw started the final round in Cairo just a shot out of the lead but faded to a share of 12th. They say you learn most not from your victories but your disappointments and that clearly proved the case after Gill signed for a closing two-over 74 at NEWGIZA Golf Club, the equal worst score of anyone who finished in the top 40.

“This is fantastic,” said Gill. “I have been waiting for some time now for this to happen. It did not happen in Cairo, but I am glad I could hang on and win here in Oman.

“I was disappointed last week, but I came here knowing I was playing solid. I have been playing good golf for some time now, just struggling to get everything together and I am glad I managed to do that.”

Get it done he surely did, but not without a few nerve-jangling moments down the stretch. Twice on the last two holes weak, pushed drives looked to have cost the Lindrick Golf Club member but he recovered both times with a pair of spectacular chips to tap-in range. Check them out:

With this exquisite chip to less than 2 feet, @baileygill1997 has taken a one-shot lead at -15 going into the final hole of the Ghala Open. pic.twitter.com/928YvaYwVR

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) February 19, 2020

That brilliant chip by @baileygill1997 left him with his short putt to make a birdie and edge ahead of a fast-charging @DavidLangley59 by one shot… pic.twitter.com/aMI7p7tLlh

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) February 19, 2020

“Those two were tough shots on the last two holes. I hit a horrible tee shot on the 18th hole and there was a lot of pressure when David holed his putt for a birdie on the last. David really played great despite the poor start he had, especially on that back nine.”

“I’m delighted to win the Ghala Open and I can’t wait to get going next week at the Oman Open at Al Mouj Golf. It will be my first European Tour event so I’m really looking forward to the challenge of playing with some of the best golfers in the world.

“I have only been a professional now for around five months so I’m really happy this opportunity has come to me so soon and I hope I can take advantage of it.”

Langley, seeking a second MENA Tour title inside three weeks, was left to rue a double-bogey start in a topsy-turvy closing 67. The 25-year-old Marlow rookie bounced back immediately with a birdie two but bogeyed the par-5 3rd before reaching the turn in 38 strokes, two over. He triggered a charge by driving it just short of the 375-yard par-4 10th and coolly holing the eagle putt before rattling off five birdies in his final seven holes for a homeward nine played in 29 strokes.

One of our spectators took this video of @DavidLangley59 driving to the edge of the 375-yard par-4 10th green and sinking his eagle putt to get back to even par for the round. pic.twitter.com/fxExKMJtzn

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) February 19, 2020

Sadly for Langley, the brilliant back-nine left him just shy of playoff although he does have the consolation of a near $10,000 lead over Gill in the Journey to Jordan money-race heading to Bahrain.

“I am gutted, but after that finish, if I had to lose to someone, I’d rather it be Bailey,” said the 25-year-old, also playing his first full season as a professional.

“I was rooming with him last week in Cairo and I know how upset he was after the finish there and credit to him for getting it done.

“I hit a perfect tee shot on the first and made a poor swing with my second. Obviously, the adrenaline was pumping a bit. That double affected me on the fourth hole, which is a par-5 and I could not make a birdie there. Being two-over after four on an easier stretch was not ideal, but I stayed patient and went on a roll on the back nine.

“A win here would have possibly got me two European Tour starts [Oman for winning Ghala Open and Hassan Trophee II for topping the Journey to Jordan at the halfway stage], so there was that pressure. Good to see Bailey getting the Oman spot and I am in a nice position to get into Morocco after this.”

Gupta, who turns 16 in May, showed once again why he is considered one of the brightest prospects in the region as he notched his first top-five on the MENA Tour and came to within one shot of earning his first-ever Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.

Arjun Gupta played his final 36-holes in 11-under-par.

“I am happy with my finish. The whole week my short game and my putting was very good. I could have probably driven the ball a bit better, but I can’t complain after such a finish,” said the Dubai-born Gupta, who is coached by Jamie McConnell at the Claude Harmon III Performance Golf Academy in Dubai.

“I want to win the Amateur Journey to Jordan this year and this is a good step in that direction. I also want to win a tournament on the MENA Tour and this gives me confidence that I am close.”

Final scores from Ghana Open:

-16 – @baileygill1997
-15 – @DavidLangley59
-12 – @CraigRoss64
-11 – Arjun Gupta (Am)
-10 – @alf1e_p, @PavanSagooo, Curtis Knipes, Benjamin Jones (Am), @PaulMcBride0

Full scores here:https://t.co/970IwPtaoz pic.twitter.com/ZKEmYkFP5u

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) February 19, 2020

The post Bailey Gill wins Ghala Open as Dubai teen Arjun Gupta records best MENA Tour finish appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Rookie English professional David Langley has pole-position among a gaggle of five players well-placed to mark their MENA Tour by Arena debuts with victory at the Journey to Jordan #1 Championship on Wednesday. England-domiciled Jordanian 16-year-old Shergo Al Kurdi, meanwhile, will enter the final round of the $75,000 season opener at Ayla Golf Club a little peeved he’s not in an even better position to become the regional development circuit’s third-youngest winner.

A battling 68 on Tuesday moved Langley to -5 for the championship. The Marlow 25-year-old will carry a one shot lead into the final round in Aqaba from four other debutants: Scot Ryan Lumsden (65), Swedes Per Langfors (69) and Calle Strandberg (68) and England’s Tom Sloman (67).

First-round co-leader Al Kurdi is also at -1 but was left rueing a second round 70 that could have been so much better. When the teen eagled Ayla’s 1st hole, his 10th after starting on the 10th, he was at six-under for the day, at eight-under for the championship and seemingly set to open up a big lead atop the leaderboard.

But the two-time Jordan Open winner and Ayla G.C.-attached teen gave back four shots over his closing six holes to fall back into the chasing pack.

“That finish hurt,” said Al Kurdi, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disorder, six months ago.

Shergo Al Kurdi

“I was six-under-par through 10, and that [included] a three-putt bogey. It was a flying start, but I lost a bit of my energy and I did not putt well enough.

“No excuses though…at least I managed to hold it together and give myself a chance tomorrow. The birdies were coming along easily early in the round and I was calm and patient. And then I started trying a bit too hard after making a double bogey on the fourth hole. I think that would be the key for tomorrow, trying not to force the issue.”

Langley, likewise, won’t be forcing the final round despite his shot at an instant breakthrough.

“I am not going to approach tomorrow any differently. As I said, I had a few close misses the last two days, so I am probably in the better side of some luck coming my way. I feel very comfortable on this golf course, so we will see,” Langley said.

Lumsden, an alumnus of Northwestern University in Chicago who qualified for the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock, shot the best round of the championship Tuesday to roar into contention. The seven-under 65 was motivated by a terrible finish to the opening round when the 22-year-old Scotsman went from one- through 16 holes to three over via a triple bogey-bogey finish in the tough conditions.

Ryan Lumsden

“The finish yesterday really frustrated me, but it also fired me up to come out and play well today. I was very happy with the way I played. I was pretty good with my wedges and hit a few to tap-in distances,” said Lumsden.

Italian veteran Alessandro Tadini (68) and Welsh youngster Gaelen Trew (70) were tied for seventh place at two-under-par. Overnight joint leader, Scotland’s Sam Locke (73), slipped to tied ninth place at one-under-par alongside England’s Joshua Grenville-Wood (69) and Pavan Sagoo (71).

The post Langley leads while teen Shergo Al Kurdi still has a shot at Journey to Jordan #1 glory  appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
It looks like reigning amateur ‘Journey to Jordan’ champion Josh Hill will have some serious competition during this season’s condensed MENA Tour by Arena season.

U.S.-based Swedish amateur Filip Lundell raised that tantalising prospect after claiming medallist honours in the second stage of the regional developmental circuit’s two-leg Q-School in Aqaba, Jordan, on Wednesday.

The 185cm (6ft 1in), 81kg lefty edged Scottish professional Ryan Lumsden and Irish pro Paul McBride with a first playoff hole eagle at Ayla Golf Club after the trio had finished the 54-hole qualifier on -7, 209, a shot ahead of Scotland’s Calum Fyfe.

Lundell’s scores of 70-68-71 won’t have gone unnoticed by Hill, who qualified for last week’s OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic via his Journey to Jordan title last season. After winning the Al Ain Open to become the youngest winner of an Official World Golf Ranking event last October, the Dubai-based England Boys’ representative is clearly focused on winning tournaments this season but the increased amateur competition isn’t a bad subplot.

Lundell clearly has an affinity with desert golf after a stellar senior year for the Grand Canyon University golf team in Phoenix, Arizona last season, highlighted by victory in the UC Irvine Invitational at Santa Ana Country Club (California) in October.

Amateurs continue to excel at Ayla Golf Club.
Sweden’s Filip Lundell has secured the Qualifying School B medalist honors after prevailing in a 3-way play-off at 7-under par.
Lundell made an eagle on the first extra hole to beat Scotland’s Ryan Lumsden and Ireland’s Paul McBride. pic.twitter.com/vF4BhRgxBD

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) January 29, 2020

After firing 10 rounds in the 60s, Lundell was named to the All-WAC (Western Athletic Conference) first team and is set to see his current World Amateur Gof Ranking (WAGR) of 656 soar after his Ayla triumph. His sister Sofia also plays collegiate golf for the University of California Golden Bears.

Filip Lundell is the second amateur to win an event at Ayla Golf Club.

Last year, @IAmRobinTiger won the Journey to Jordan #2.

And Josh Hill was the leader going into the final round of the Journey to Jordan Tour Championship.@AylaOasis @arenamiddleeast

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) January 29, 2020

A total of 35 players from the 52-strong ‘Q-School B’ earned cards for this season’s MENA Tour which will feature 11 tournaments, starting and finishing at Ayla at the Journey to Jordan 1 Championship next week (Feb 3-5) and the $125,000 Arena Championship (April 20-22) respectively.

Other amateurs to qualify were 6th placed Englishman David Haque (-4) and German Julian Ballmann who finished T-32nd on 11 over par.

Congratulations to all those who secured their MENA Tour cards for 2020 from the Qualifying School B stage today.

The Journey to Jordan begins in real earnest when our season-opening J2J#1 is held at Ayla Golf Club from Feb 3-5.@AylaOasis @arenamiddleeast pic.twitter.com/UMycq9KuTS

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) January 29, 2020

Lundell’s victory comes after a famous name captured Q-School A medallist honours last week. Miguel Jiménez Jnr, the son of 21-time European Tour winner and victorious Ryder Cupper Miguel Ángel Jiménez, won the first leg with a -9, 207 aggregate after struggling to 78th place in last season’s professional Journey to Jordan moneylist.

Among the total of 22 players (in a field of 33) to advance from Q-School A were Chinese amateur Ziang Xu (+6) and English professional Alfie Plant who sprung to prominence by claiming the Silver Medal for amateur honours at the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

There is something about the Ayla Golf Club that Miguel Angel Jimenez Junior absolutely loves.
He got a hole-in-one there last year and he now has a win as well.
No wonder he loves the place…his daughter is named Ayla as well!@Tengolf @arenamiddleeast @GolfDigestME pic.twitter.com/AyWOgpSnGO

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) January 24, 2020

Many congratulations to the 22 players who earned their cards for the 2020 MENA Tour by Arena season at the Qualifying School A at @AylaOasis in Jordan.

-9 – Miguel Angel Jimenez Jr
-6 – @NathanKimsey
– 5 – Billy Hemstock and @K_Esteve pic.twitter.com/OumBoJeB0L

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) January 23, 2020

The post Amateur wins medallist honours at second leg of MENA Tour Q-School appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Josh Hill couldn’t pull off the finish he had hoped for to cap his breakout rookie season on the MENA Tour but will ride his golfing fairytale into 2020 nonetheless.

The 15-year-old Dubai-based amateur had the chance to win his second title on the regional developmental circuit in three starts but faded from the lead through 36 holes to a share on 9th with a closing 76 at the Journey to Jordan Tour Championship on Thursday. There was a bittersweet finish in Aqaba with the top-1o seeing Hill overhaul fellow English teen Curtis Knipes to top the season-long amateur Journey to Jordan order of merit standings and secure a start in January’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic in the process.

That prospect alone helped Hill get over the disappointment of his four-over final round at Ayla Golf Club.

“I have been to every [Dubai Desert Classic] tournament since I was a five- or a six-year-old and remember getting amazed by the number of people that walked with Tiger Woods’ group when I was there the first time…I am very excited and looking forward to playing at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic,” said Hill who become the youngest winner of an OWGR event when he captured the Al Ain Open in last October.

“It’s been an amazing season for me, one in which I have learned a lot on the MENA Tour playing with all the professionals. I think I have grown as a player.

“I wanted to finish top-10 in at least a couple of tournaments this season, but I have surpassed my expectations. The win at Al Ain was definitely the highlight of the season.”

Josh Hill may not have won the Journey To Jordan Tour Championship after being sole leader at the start of final day, but he did get the prize he was after – winning the MENA Tour by Arena Amateur Order of Merit and getting that dream start at the @OMEGAGolfDubai Desert Classic. pic.twitter.com/dxANidtSPt

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) November 28, 2019

Top 10 amateur Journey to Jordan standings.

MG Keyser, meanwhile, didn’t have the best finish at Aqaba like Hill. A closing 79 saw the South African finish T-36 in the season decider but it was still sufficient to claim the professional Journey to Jordan title even though his nearest challengers for the honour – Australia’s Daniel Gaunt (69) and England’s James Allan (72) – finished tied for 16th.

The final pro J2J standings.

Keyser finished with total earnings of $45,153 from the season and knows the feat has the potential to change his future. As well as the Desert Classic, Keyser has earned invites to the Made in Denmark and the Diamond Cup in Japan.

“I think one of the things every professional golfer looks for is consistency and that was one of the most pleasing aspect of my season,” said Keyser who went through the season without missing a cut.

“I am planning to play more in Europe and this gives me two starts on the European Tour and also in the Diamond Cup in Japan. These are great opportunities and it is now up to me to make the most out of it.”

Above everything else, winning the Journey To Jordan validated the hard work put in by @KeyserMG and he was especially proud with the consistency he showed throughout the season.@arenagroup_plc @TGP_Dubai @AylaOasis pic.twitter.com/TC6UAwsLZV

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) November 28, 2019

The 2020 season of the MENA Tour begins with two stages of Q-School, to be played back at Ayla Golf Club, from January 20-23 and January 26-29.

The post With a dream Desert Classic start locked in, teen Josh Hill lauds MENA Tour for helping him ‘grow as a player’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Understandably lost in the global hullabaloo created by Josh Hill’s sensational Al Ain Open victory is the fact that Curtis Knipes has gone virtually the entire MENA Tour season atop the amateur order of merit standings.

The 18-year-old Englishman, who notably qualified for this year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush during the MENA Tour’s mid-season break, will look to seal the deal at Ayla Golf Club in Aqaba this week.

RELATED: Meet Josh Hill, the MENA Tour’s new boy wonder

While just three players are still in the running for the professional Journey to Jordan title, even Hill’s pal Arjun Gupta, down in fifth place, has an outside shot to win the amateur title at the $100,000 Journey To Jordan Tour Championship.

But it looks set to be a ding-dong battle between Knipes and Hill who eclipsed  Ryo Ishikawa as the youngest winner of an Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) event – at 15 years, six months and 27 days old – in Al Ain.

The win earned the MENA Tour precious global recognition and Hill a place among the 10 finalists for the 2019  BBC Young Sports Personality of Year award. All the while, Knipes has got on with preparing himself for the final 54-holes of the season in Jordan. There’s a lot riding on it too; the leading Journey to Jordan amateur earns a priceless European Tour start in January’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

“It would be nice to win the Journey To Jordan and play the Omega Dubai Desert Classic,” said Knipes who leads the way with 21,662 points, 1957 clear of Hill.

“I felt that the Open Championship at Royal Portrush [where he missed the cut after qualifying], was a bit of a wasted opportunity, so it would be nice to test myself again. You never know what can happen if I play well there.

“Having said that, I am just trying to compete against the pros as I have done in every other tournament this year. Try and focus on the winning score and see how well I can play.”

Knipes, Hill and fellow English contender Jack Floydd are in the second group off the 1st tee at Ayla on Tuesday at 7.40am Aqaba time (9.40am UAE time).

This is how it stands in the Journey to Jordan as we head into the season-ending Tour Championship.

And to find out how some of the leading players can win the MENA Tour by @TGP_Dubai No1 crown, here are the various permutations and combinations…https://t.co/Np7Rdt1Wqv pic.twitter.com/YrHMowz9k0

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) November 25, 2019

WHAT THEY NEED TO DO…
Here are the various permutations for the amateurs at Ayla Golf Club:

CURTIS KNIPES: Will become the Journey To Jordan amateur champion if Hill is not inside the top-seven and Floydd inside the top-four.

JOSH HILL: Will have to finish inside the top-7 and then wait for Knipe’s result. If he is seventh, Knipes will have to be outside a tie for 39th place and Floydd outside the top-four.

JACK FLOYDD: Will have to finish inside the top-four to have any chance.

ARJUN GUPTA: Only a win will make it count for Gupta. If he wins, Knipes will have to finish outside the 37th place and Hill outside solo seventh.

The post Knipes looks to get over Hill as amateur Journey to Jordan race goes to wire appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
The prize money isn’t in the same stratosphere but the MENA Tour’s answer to the DP World Tour Championship has the potential to be life-changing like it proved for $5 million man Jon Rahm at the Race to Dubai decider.

If you dismiss that as hyperbole, consider the journey of Scot Robert MacIntyre who hailed the MENA Tour by Arena after becoming European Tour Rookie-of-the-Year at Jumeriah Golf Estates on Sunday.

The “I can only control what I can control” narrative on the eve of the $100,000 Journey to Jordan Tour Championship certainly sounds very similar to that at Jumeirah Golf Estates this time last week.

RELATED: Knipes looks to get over Hill as amateur Journey to Jordan race goes to wire

While five players went into the European Tour climax with a chance to be crowned European No.1, just three pros – South African pole-sitter MG Keyser, second-placed Aussie Daniel Gaunt and fourth-placed Englishman James Allan –  can finish the season as Journey to Jordan champion.

England’s Matthew Baldwin and Frenchman Robin Roussell, third and sixth in the J2J standings, have opted not to play at Ayla Golf Club this week as they continue to chase European Tour cards on the Challenge Tour.

Keyser won the Troon Series – Dubai Open presented by Turkish Airlines earlier in the season. (Photo Joy Chakravarty).

That leaves Keyser, Gaunt and Allan to battle it out for the $18,000 winner’s cheque., comparative loose change compared to the $3 million Rahm pocketed for winning his second DPWTC title in three years (there was also a $2 million bonus for claiming the Race to Dubai title). But the MENA Tour by Arena trio are chasing something money can’t buy – opportunities at the next level.

The eventual Journey to Jordan champion will earn starts in the European Tour’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic and Made in Denmark, plus the Diamond Cup, an event co-sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour and Asian Tour.

There are also Desert Classic starts at Emirates Golf Club (Jan. 23-26) for the runner-up, the leading player in the ‘Final Five’ Order of Merit and the top amateur. The overall Journey to Jordan runnerup will also be off to the Asian Tour’s Bank BRI Indonesian Open and the season-ending Indonesian Masters (Dec 12-15), while the bronze medallist can look forward to two Challenge Tour invites.

Keyser, who can make all the Journey to Jordan points permutations irrelevant by finishing solo second, sounded a lot like all the big-name contenders at JGE last week during Monday’s media call.

“It’s the same as any other week. I really can’t predict what others are going to do…I can only control myself,” said Keyser who won Dubai Open at Dubai Hills earlier in the season and leads the way with earnings of $44,361 – $7887 clear of Al Zorah Open champion Gaunt.

“I have had a couple of good weeks on the Asian Tour before coming here and I played well in the practice round. So, just go out there, have fun, and hopefully, at the end of the day, I am still at the top.”

The 54-hole Tour Championship begins Tuesday with Keyser, Gaunt and Allan forming the final group out at 11am Aqaba time (1pm UAE time).

On the eve of the Tour Championship, we asked our Professional Journey To Jordan leader @KeyserMG what would it mean for him to become the MENA Tour No1…@TGP_Dubai @JGEGolf @AylaOasis pic.twitter.com/nfxVKSZ5Cu

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) November 25, 2019

WHAT THEY NEED TO DO…
Here are the various permutations for the pros at Ayla Golf Club:

MG KEYSER: A win will seal it, but if Gaunt picks up the trophy on Sunday, the Jumeirah Golf Estates ambassador will have to finish solo second. If Gaunt finishes solo second, Keyser will have to be inside tied fourth with one other player.

DANIEL GAUNT: Even if he wins, Gaunt will have to depend on Keyser finishing outside the top-two.

JAMES ALLAN: Will have to win the tournament, and then hope that Keyser is outside 38th position and Gaunt doesn’t win or is tied second with one other player.

The post European and Asian Tour starts MG Keyser’s to lose at MENA Tour decider appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
It will still be known as the ‘Journey to Jordan’ but that’s about where the similarities between the current MENA Tour by Arena season and new-look 2020 schedule end. 

New events in Oman and the UAE – the latter an Alfred Dunhill Links Championship-style Pro-Am over 54 holes – two multi-venue tournaments (albeit at familiar courses) and a $25,000 increase in the purse for the season-ending tour championship headline next season’s schedule unveiled today.

RELATED: Arena become ‘umbrella sponsor’ of MENA Tour

Also gone for 2020 are the current spring and autumn swings, replaced instead by a condensed four-month season, again encompassing a two-stage Qualifying School at Ayla G.C. in late January. Q-School is immediately followed by the first event of the season proper, the Journey to Jordan #1 Championship, also at Ayla Golf Club.

With Aqaba in Jordan back as the tour’s destination partner, Ayla G.C. will again host four events (Q-School and three main season stops) including The Arena (Tour) Championship. The April 19-23 Journey to Jordan decider will be 72-holes for the first time since the 2017 Tour Championship, features an increased prize fund of $125,000 and becomes a full-field event for the first time in what will be the eighth season of the MENA Tour.

The increased playing opportunities and increased Official World Golf Ranking points (five OWGR points to the Arena Championship winner as it has become a four-round event) are by design, not necessity. David Spencer, Strategic Advisor to the MENA Tour, explains the rationale behind the radical rejig.

“There are two very good reasons why we decided to have the Tour schedule packed in one continuous stretch rather than have two legs in Spring and an Autumn,” said Spencer.

“Most development Tours do not start until the end of April, mostly because of the playing conditions in Europe. We are fortunate to have perfect weather in the Middle East during that period. This gives our players a solid run of tournaments, which is great preparation for them going into the summer. Also, it just simplifies things logistically for our players and makes the cost of ‘life’ on the Tour more affordable.

“With the multitude of playing opportunities we provide on European, Asian and the Challenge Tours, the new-look schedule dovetails perfectly with the other Tours.”

RELATED: MENA Tour breakthrough a ‘massive” confidence boost for Allan

The first of the circuit’s new events, the Muscat Open, is to be hosted by at Muscat Hills from Feb. 10-13. The Muscat Open is the first of back-to-back events in Oman ahead of The Ghala Open at Ghala Golf Club (Feb. 16-19).

Muscat Hills G.C.

Troon International venues will feature prominently in the circuit’s new multi-course events. The first, the ‘Triple Crown’ in March, will be co-hosted by Yas Links, Saadiyat Beach G.C. and Abu Dhabi G.C. while Al Hamra has joined forces with existing host venue Al Zorah in Ajman to co-host the Northern Emirates Open.

In another first, the MENA Tour by Arena Invitational Pro-Am will be modelled on the PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and the European Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. A venue and purse for the MENA Tour’s iteration has yet to be announced but it will be staged in the UAE and is in the schedule for Mar. 22-25, the week after Abu Dhabi’s Triple Crown.

A minimum of 30 players from each stage of Q-School will secure their cards for the season.

MENA TOUR BY ARENA – 2020 SCHEDULE
Jan. 20-23: Qualifying School A – Ayla GC, Aqaba, Jordan ($6,000)
Jan. 26-29: Qualifying School B – Ayla GC, Aqaba, Jordan ($6,000)
Feb. 2-5: Journey to Jordan #1 – Ayla GC, Aqaba, Jordan ($75,000)
Feb. 10-13: The Muscat Open – Muscat Hills GC, Muscat, Oman ($75,000)
Feb. 16-19: The Ghala Open – Ghala GC, Muscat, Oman ($75,000)
Feb. 23-26: The Bahrain Open – Royal GC, Bahrain ($75,000)
Mar. 1-4: Journey to Jordan #2 – Ayla GC, Aqaba, Jordan ($75,000)
Mar. 15-18: The Triple Crown – Yas Links/Saadiyat Beach GC/Abu Dhabi GC ($75,000)
Mar. 22-25: MENA Tour by Arena Invitational Pro-Am – UAE TBA (Purse TBA)
Mar. 29-April 1: Ras Al Khaimah Open – Tower Links GC, RAK ($75,000)
April 5-8: Northern Emirates Open – Al Hamra GC, RAK/Al Zorah GC, Ajman ($75,000)
April 12-15 TBA – Venue TBA ($75,000)
April 19-23 The Arena Championship – Ayla GC, Aqaba, Jordan ($125,000)

The post Innovative events and new venues highlight ‘condensed’ 2020 MENA Tour schedule appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
The MENA Tour’s bid to become the “best little mini-tour in the world” has just become a whole lot more realistic.

Arena Middle East & Asia has bolstered its sponsorship of the regional Pro-Am circuit which will now be known as the MENA Tour by Arena. The provider of turnkey structures for the “most prestigious occasions in the global calendar” – think most of the spectator and corporate hospitality infrastructure at the major Middle East golf tournaments, for example – Arena will also have the naming rights to three tournaments in the Autumn Schedule – this week’s Abu Dhabi Open at Yas Links and later in Al Ain and Ras Al Khaimah.

While no financial details of the deal were disclosed at the announcement on the eve of the Abu Dhabi Open, MENA Tour strategic advisor David Spencer insists the “umbrella sponsorship” will help the circuit’s expansion plans.

Back this year after a near 17-month restricting hiatus, the 2019 MENA Tour includes 10 events with minimum $75,000 purses and Official World Ranking Points. The number of events is expected to grow next season, enhancing the pathway to golf’s larger pro tours for the tour’s membership and helping players from across the Middle East qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

“The MENA Tour by Arena is committed to becoming the most preferred development tour in the world,” said Spencer.

“The partnership with Arena and their vision for the region makes it all possible. We are truly thankful to (Arena Middle East & Asia CEO) Paul Berger and his team for the faith that they have shown in us. [This year] we have enhanced the prize fund of each tournament, increased the playing opportunities for our members and have streamlined the schedule. There are many more plans in the pipeline but these do need corporate support.”

RELATED:  MENA Tour says no to ‘single-use’ plastic bottles with help of sponsor Arena

Arena are clearly committed to helping the circuit deliver on its player development remit.

“Golf forms a major part of our portfolio and the MENA Tour gives us a great opportunity to visit some of the leading golf courses and countries in the region,” Berger said. “Arena has been an integral part of the growth of golf in the Middle East, having provided infrastructure to almost every big tournament here since their inception. We are also very confident that our partnership with the Tour will help play a massive role in nurturing a home-grown champion very soon.”

This week’s Abu Dhabi Open is the seventh stop of the 2019 MENA Tour season which is split (by the region’s summer heat) into two five-event swings.

Ayla Golf Club in Aqaba and Jordan are official destination partners with the season-long Order of Merit (OOM), much like the European Tour’s ‘Race to Dubai’, now known as the ‘Journey To Jordan’. Ayla G.C. has already hosted a two-leg Qualifying School and two $100,000 events – including last week’s Journey To Jordan-2 Championship won so impressively by Robin ‘Tiger’ Williams. It will also host the season-ending $100,000 Tour Championship in late November.

Playing opportunities on the European, Challenge and Asian Tour’s are major lures for players from around the world. The MENA Tour announced a host of new invites just before the start of the autumn swing including starts in the 2020 Omega Dubai Desert Classic for the top two professionals and leading amateur in the final OOM race, plus to the winner of a separate ‘Final Five’ money list over the five-event autumn swing.

RELATED: MENA Tour unveil European and Challenge Tour invites for autumn swing schedule

There is also a ‘Penultimate Four’ race – the autumn swing events excluding the Tour Championship, which will see the winner teed up to play back-to-back Asian Tour events in New Delhi (Panasonic Open India) and Bangkok (Thailand Open).

The post Arena become ‘umbrella sponsor’ of MENA Tour appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.